Landscapes: Mountains of the World
I have been accused of going to the mountains to show what a big man I am.
The reality is I go to be reminded just how small and insignificant I am.
Reinhold Messner
Italian mountaineer
First solo ascent of Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen
Mountains have been considered holy places since time immemorial.
To name just a few:
Mount Sinai is well-known among Jews, Christians, and Muslims as the place where God revealed the Ten Commandments to Moses.
Griddhraj Parvat, also known as "Vulture Peak", is a mountain in India where it is believed that Buddha spent much of his time giving sermons. Supposedly, he delivered many of his most important sermons there, including the Lotus Sutra, which is held by many sects to be his most complete teaching.
Uluru, also known as "Ayers Rock", is a rock formation in Australia. To the Aboriginal people, Uluru is the physical evidence of their dreamtime creation story. They have held it sacred for thousands of years.
Mount Carmel associated in mainstream Jewish, Christian, and Islamic thought with the prophet Elijah.
Mount Shasta in the USA has been the focus of several religious legends. The local native tribes believed that Mount Shasta and nearby volcano Mount Mazama were avatars of the gods who spewed fire at each other in epic battles.
Mount Tabor revered by Christians to be the site of the Transfiguration of Jesus.
Mount Kailash, in Tibet is sacred to a number of religions, although it has never been home to any religious conflict. The mountain is deemed so sacred by everyone that even setting foot on it would be sacrilege.
